1st Meeting of the Steering Committee of the Islamic Conference of Health Ministers (ICHM)
Date: 19-20 January 2009
Venue: Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia

Following the Kuala Lumpur Declaration 2007 of the First Islamic Conference of Health Ministers of the OIC and Resolution No.4/11-ST (IS) of the Eleventh Session of the Islamic Summit Conference, the Government of Malaysia hosted the First Meeting of the Steering Committee of the Islamic Conference of Health Ministers in Kuala Lumpur on 19-20 January 2009.

The Meeting was attended by the delegations from OIC Member States, namely Islamic Republic of Iran, Malaysia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Uganda. Also present were representatives of the OIC General Secretariat, SESRIC, COMSTECH, IDB and ISESCO. The representatives of WHO, the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Malaysian Pilgrimage Board and the Embassy of the United States of America in Kuala Lumpur (on behalf of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta were also present.

The meeting formally established the Steering Committee under the authority and guidance of the Islamic Conference of Health Ministers and considered the draft composition and terms of reference of the Steering Committee. Participants agreed that in order to be effective and efficient the Committee should be able to tap into available expertise and resources and explore other avenues. To that end, participants emphasized, among others, to equip the Committee with strong secretarial support and sound scientific and technical advice; to enable it to facilitate exchange of data and information; and to allow it to prepare a provisional agenda for the Ministerial Conference.

The Steering Committee invited Health Ministers from the OIC Member States and their delegations to actively participate in the Second Islamic Conference of Health Ministers to be held in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran on 1 – 4 March 2009 and urged Member States to focus their plenary statements and national reports in line with the theme of the Second Conference and in the light of the Declaration and Resolutions of the First Conference. The Meeting decided to submit a progress report and recommendations of the Steering Committee to the Second Conference for approval.